Meeting Arisa Trew

Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, students are introduced to Arisa Trew through a short biographical sports media article. They examine how purpose, audience, structure and language features shape meaning, building on prior learning about representations of Australian youth.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify the purpose and intended audience of a sports media article.
• WALT use comprehension strategies to understand and summarise biographical information.
• WALT explain how language features create a positive representation of a young Australian athlete.
• WALT recognise and use evaluative language when discussing a media text.

Success criteria

• I can identify the purpose and likely audience of a sports media article.
• I can locate key information about Arisa Trew and summarise it accurately.
• I can identify language features that shape the reader’s view of Arisa.
• I can support my ideas with evidence from the article.

Curriculum links

• Literature — identify and explore ideas, points of view, characters, events and issues in literary and cultural contexts.
• Literacy — analyse how language features shape meaning and vary according to audience and purpose.
• Language — recognise evaluative language and substantiate evaluations with evidence from a text.
• Language — understand how text structure and cohesive devices guide readers.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and prediction. Display a striking action image of a young skateboarder and ask, “What can one photograph make us assume about a person?” Open with the image and prediction prompt. Students silently record three predictions, then share with a partner, distinguishing observation from inference. Briefly introduce Arisa Trew as an Australian skateboarder and explain that the class will examine how a media article represents her.

2. 7–15 min · Vocabulary and purpose. Use the vocabulary and purpose slides to introduce biography, profile, audience, purpose, achievement, determination, pressure and representation. Read each word aloud, clarify meaning and invite students to connect one word to sport or media. Students complete the vocabulary matching and prediction section of the Arisa Trew article and analysis worksheet. Ask: “Who might read this article, and what might the writer want those readers to think or feel?”

3. 15–27 min · Supported reading. Distribute the Arisa Trew article and analysis worksheet. Read the first section aloud while students track the text; model pausing to visualise, question and clarify unfamiliar words. Students read the next sections in pairs, taking turns to read a paragraph or listen to a partner. They highlight key facts, circle evaluative words and place a question mark beside anything unclear. Provide chunked passages and vocabulary support rather than requiring students to read the whole article at once.

4. 27–39 min · Text structure and comprehension. Display the article structure and comprehension prompts. Identify the headline, opening overview, chronological information, quotations or reported comments, and concluding statement. Students complete a six-box retrieval and summary task on the worksheet: key person, sport, significant event, challenge, response and article’s main idea. Pairs compare answers, then justify one answer by pointing to the relevant sentence. Check understanding through targeted questions, including “What happened first?” and “Which detail is most important to the article’s purpose?”

5. 39–52 min · Audience, language and representation. Model one example from the article, such as how an evaluative adjective or action verb positions Arisa as determined, skilled or resilient. Students work in pairs to select two further words or phrases and complete: “The writer uses ___ to make readers see Arisa as ___; this suits the audience because ___.” They then decide whether the article’s main purpose is to inform, celebrate, inspire or persuade, allowing more than one purpose if supported. Pairs share responses while classmates agree, challenge or add evidence using the discussion and evidence prompts.

6. 52–60 min · Plenary and exit ticket. Revisit the learning intentions using the summary and exit-ticket slide. Students complete the final worksheet response: “The article is mainly aimed at ___ and its purpose is ___ because ___.” They must include one quotation or accurately referenced phrase from the article. Invite two or three students to read responses, then collect the worksheet to assess individual understanding.

Resources

• the Arisa Trew introduction and teaching deck
• the Arisa Trew article and analysis worksheet
• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Headphones or text-to-speech device, where available
• Exercise books and pens
• Optional enlarged or printed copies of the reading passage

Assessment

• Listen for students distinguishing observation, inference and prediction during the hook.
• Check annotated passages, vocabulary understanding, summary boxes and evidence-based pair responses during guided reading and analysis.
• Use the final purpose-and-audience response to identify students who can explain their ideas with textual evidence.

Differentiation

• Support: read the passage aloud, offer paired reading, chunk the article with clear subheadings, pre-teach vocabulary and provide sentence starters such as “The audience is likely to be…” and “The word ___ suggests…”.
• Dyslexia-friendly options: use a clear sans-serif font, generous spacing, short line lengths, left-aligned text, cream or pale-coloured paper where suitable, text-to-speech, audio support and permission to respond orally.
• EAL/D and literacy support: provide a vocabulary bank with simple definitions, visuals and cognates where useful; allow students to rehearse answers orally before writing.
• Extension: students compare the article’s celebratory language with a more neutral news report and explain how a change in purpose would alter the wording.